Washington grows an enormous variety of food, from the farms of the Puyallup and Skagit valleys to the orchards east of the Cascades. Exact timing shifts with the weather each year, but this rough calendar helps you shop at your local farmers market or grocery.
Spring
Look for asparagus, rhubarb, early greens, radishes and peas. Spring is also when many farmers markets reopen for the season, so it is a good time to find out which ones are near you.
Summer
Strawberries usually arrive in early summer, followed by raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. Cherries from Eastern Washington, sweet corn, tomatoes, zucchini and stone fruit such as peaches and apricots fill the stalls by mid to late summer.
Fall
Fall belongs to apples and pears, which Washington is famous for, along with winter squash, pumpkins, potatoes and Brussels sprouts. It is also cider and harvest-festival season across the region.
Winter
Storage crops carry the season: apples, onions, potatoes, carrots, beets and hardy greens such as kale. Many markets run reduced winter hours, so check schedules before you go.
Why it is worth it
Produce picked close to home and in season usually travels less and is picked riper, which often means better flavor. Talking with growers at the market is also the easiest way to learn what is coming next.